Monday, 3 March 2008

The Bathurst show

Bathurst is a town about 100km away, lying at the western foot of the Blue Mountains and hence the gateway to the vast western plains. Its show draws exhibitors from the surrounding agricultural areas. We went primarily to check out the animals but ended up doing more people-watching, as entries were sparse in the livestock competitions, perhaps a result of the decade-long drought that has seen many smaller holdings go bankrupt. Although the drought is now officially over, after the wettest summer since 1953, it has devastated rural communities and turned more than a few outback centres into virtual ghost towns. Michael has a good selection of photos on his website, whereas I only took three: a large man and his small granddaughter taking the dodgem cars very seriously; one of the rides, patronised only by little girls -clearly too sedate for any of the boys; and the winner of the best cake. No really!

About Me

I'm a writer, a gardener and a traveller, living in a 100-year-old house in Vancouver, Canada. I have 2 blogs:
"Grand Folly" records the restoration of the house and the development of my garden.
My most recent book, "A Year at Killara Farm", (Harbour Publishing Ltd) is a memoir of my previous garden, with recipes from my kitchen and watercolour illustrations by my husband, Michael Kluckner.
" 2 BusTickets" is my travel blog. When Michael and I travel we take one carry-on bag each, and get around by bus, train, or sometimes rental car. We stay in small hotels or apartments that reflect the character of the country we're visiting.
We also travel within Canada, usually on short road trips from Vancouver and occasionally in other parts of this vast country.